Migel's Love
by RurouniGirl
Summary: The title speaks for itself. This story is about Migel and the girl he falls in love with. It's just the story of how they met, and what happended afterwards.


Migel slowly walked down the street. He was glad that Colonel Tristan had sent him to get the supplies. It gave him a chance to be alone and get away from that Sergeant that seemed to hate him so much. As he rounded a corner he heard a loud commotion up ahead. As he approached, he saw a young boy surrounded by a group of boys. He was tall and thin, with brown hair that hung in shaggy spikes about his head. He was dressed in a pair of gray pants, a green tank top, and brown boots. As he watched, one of the boys lunged at the boy in the middle, fists flying toward his jaw. In a lightning fast movement, the boy ducked and swung his leg around, pulling the lunging boy's legs out from under him, causing him to fall on his back with a thud. This only angered the boy even more. The surrounding boys moved in, grabbing his arms and legs, holding him so tight, he could barely move. By now, the other boy had picked himself up and stood in front of the boy with a malicious grin on his face. His fist flew and impacted with his stomach. Then again in the stomach. Then the jaw. Then with deliberate slowness, he pulled his arm back and sent his fist flying in to the left side of the boy's chest. He winced and doubled over, trying to catch his breath. That's when Migel realized that he wasn't a boy, but a young girl. As the girl knelt trying to catch her breath, the boy laughed. "You really are pathetic, Sheera. You should know by now that you can't beat me." She glared at him. "Yeah, well you'd never stand a chance in a fair fight," she said. "Why you little..." He lashed his foot out. "Stop right there," a voice commanded. He stopped mid-kick and turned to face the speaker. Migel took another step towards them. "Leave her alone." "Why should I?" the boy asked, in a 'you-can't-tell-me-what-to-do' tone of voice. Migel looked at them for a moment, then drew his sword. "This is just ONE good reason." The boy just stood there for a minute, then he and his gang ran off down the street. Migel walked over to the girl, offering his hand to help her up. "Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded. "Thanks for your help," she said, taking his offered hand. He smiled. The next second their was an angry yell. "Sheera, where are you? You'd better get back here and explain right now!" She turned. "Well, I have to go. It was nice meeting you, and thanks again." She held out her hand, "By the way, my name is Sheera." He took her hand. "I am Migel." She smiled, then turned and ran down the street. Migel picked up the supplies and continued on his way, hoping he would get to meet Sheera again. As Sheera jogged home she hoped for the same thing.  
  
  
  
  
The sound of a hand hitting flesh echoed through the room. The impact of the blow caused Sheera to stumble back a step. "But I told you, I didn't do anything." This rewarded her another slap. "Don't lie to me!" "But, Uncle..." She stopped as he raised his hand in warning. "I don't want to hear it. I work hard everyday so I can provide for you, and this is how you repay repay me. Fighting. Threatening the boy's." He stood there, hands on his hips, face full of anger. "I don't want to hear a single sound from you," he said as she opened her mouth to speak. She sat at the table silently, unmoving; eyes staring at the table. "Eat," her uncle said, noticing that she hadn't moved. She remained silent and motionless. "Well?" he said questioningly. "I'm not hungry," she said through clenched teeth. He glared at her angrily. "If you're not going to eat, then leave right now. And don't try to eat later, either." She stood up and walked toward the door. "If you leave this house, don't bother to come back tonight." She stopped. "Fine," she said and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.  
  
  
  
  
Migel dropped off the supplies then headed to his bed. He was tired and he couldn't wait to put his aching feet up. As he walked, he couldn't get the face of the girl, Sheera, out of his mind. He smiled to himself, and then winced as he was kicked in the small of his back. He hit the ground with a thud and rolled over to see the Sergeant glaring down at him, an evil looking grin on his face. 'This is going to hurt,' he thought to himself as the Sergeant punched him in the ribs.  
  
  
  
  
Migel groaned as he pulled his sore body into the bed. He lay awake for several hours before getting out of bed and silently going outside. He drew in a deep breath of the refreshing night air and enjoyed the cool breeze that was blowing his hair about. It was so peaceful and relaxing. Migel sat there enjoying the peace and thinking of a young girl who had unknowingly changed his life.  
  
  
  
  
Sheera stopped running as she reached a clearing. She breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto the soft grass and moss. She smiled softly as she remembered the face of a young boy who had helped her. "Migel," she said softly and drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
  
Migel woke with a start. He lay still, listening for any movement. Al he heard was silence. 'Did I really hear anything?' His ears perked up as he heard the sound again. A slight rustling of leaves. He lay still, holding his breath. There it was again. Slowly and soundlessly he got to his feet and hid in the shadows. He breathed a sigh of relief as a deer ran out of the woods.  
  
  
  
  
Sheera cautiously opened the door and entered the house. "Where have you been?" her uncle demanded. "You told me not to come home last night." This retort earned her a slap on the cheek. "Don't you ever use that tone of voice with me," he shouted. She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm. "Don't walk away from me." She pulled her arm away and ran out of the house. She didn't stop running until she reached a small clearing by a pond. She collapsed onto the grass, panting. When her anger had subsided, she went to an old dead tree. There was a small hollow inside and she pulled a sword from this hiding place. She went through a series of lunges and blocks. She finally stopped. Sweat covered her body. She put the sword back in its hiding place and stripped off her clothes, jumping into the pond. The water was cool and refreshing. It helped cool the anger she still felt. As she stepped out of the water a blast of wind washed over her. She shivered and hurriedly pulled her clothes on. The sun had disappeared, covered by black clouds. A storm was coming. She didn't want to go back to her uncle's, so she headed for an old friend's house. The downpour started just as she arrived at his house. She knocked on the door. "Jonah! Are you home?" "I'm here. Come in. You must be soaking wet." She smiled as she closed the door behind her. Jonah was an old man with long white hair and bright green eyes. He leaned on a crutch as he stood up. His leg was missing from the knee down. He had been a soldier and lost his leg during a battle. She smiled. "How have you been?" He grinned. "You've been neglecting me." She laughed. "Don't worry. I'll make it up to you. I'll train extra hard." "Good. You can start by following me." He hobbled to the door and led her to the barn. As he opened the doors, she gasped. "A guymelef! Where did you get it?" He smiled, happy to see how pleased she was. "I'm glad you like it. As soon as the rain stops, I'll show you how to work it." She smiled and gave him a hug. "Thank you."  
  
  
  
  
Migel groaned. His whole body ached. Colonel Tristan had given him the day off, and he took the opportunity to get as far away from the Sergeant as possible. Around him, birds chirped cheerfully, and squirrels chattered as he walked by. He stopped as he came to the edge of a cliff. He stood there watching the waterfall. It was a really beautiful site. He collapsed under a tree and watched the water falling. The sound was relaxing. He stretched out and winced at the sharp pain in his side. He looked up as he heard a familiar sound. A guymelef? What was a melef doing out here? He stood up and followed the noise. He stopped at the edge of a field. Standing in the middle was the guymelef he had heard. An old man leaning on a crutch was yelling instructions to the pilot. He watched and was impressed by how quickly the pilot learned. Late in the afternoon the pilot stopped to take a break. The hatch came up and the pilot jumped down. He gasped. It was Sheera. Yet, somehow, he wasn't surprised. He had seen her fight first hand, and she had skill. She was a very talented fighter, and, as he had observed, a very quick learner when it came to melefs. He stepped forward. A smile spread across her face. "Migel!" "Hi. That was very impressive. You're a quick learner." She blushed slightly at the compliment. Jonah cleared his throat. She turned toward him. "Jonah, this is Migel. He helped me out the other day. Migel, this is Jonah. He's teaching me how to use a melef." Jonah smiled warmly at him. "Nice to meet you young man. I see you are a soldier." Migel nodded. Jonah thought for a moment, then spoke. "Maybe you can help Sheera with her training. I'm too old to be her sparring partner, and she needs to learn how to fight with an opponent." Migel smiled. "I'd be happy too."  
  
  
  
  
It was a few weeks later. Migel stood across from Sheera, sword drawn. "All right. Ready? Go!" Jonah signaled for them to start. She charged and he blocked. They kept on sparring for hours. Finally, they collapsed. Their bodies were covered in sweat and their breathing was heavy. "Good," Jonah said. "Very good. You are both excellent fighters." They smiled, slightly embarrassed by the praise. "I'll take the melef back. Why don't you two go for a swim and cool down." That sounded like a good idea to both of them. They headed to the pond. The water was cool and refreshing. When they were finished, they stretched and lay in the sun to dry their clothes. Migel reached over and took Sheera's hand in his. She smiled and moved closer to him. The sound of the waterfall was relaxing. "So, this is what you've been doing!" Sheera looked up in surprise. She jumped up. Her uncle stood there looking very angry. "Uncle, I..." He raised his hand and slapped her hard. He raised his hand to slap her again, but Migel caught it. "Don't hit her again." He whirled on Migel, angrily. "Stay out of this!" "No." "Why you little..." He pushed Migel. Migel lost his footing and fell over the edge of the cliff. "Migel!" Sheera was horrified. She started to run toward the cliff, but her uncle grabbed her. "Let go." She pulled away from his grasp and jumped after Migel. A pair of wings arched out of her back. She reached out and grabbed Migel. Once they were on safe ground, she collapsed, trembling. Migel didn't blame her. He had been terrified when he went over the cliff. He looked around, but there was no sign of Sheera's uncle. He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her, careful not to hurt her wings. "I thought I had lost you." He stroked her hair. "Thank you. You saved my life." She wasn't trembling as much and a small smile spread across her face. "But, how...when...have you always known about..." She smiled at his awkwardness. "My father was a Draconian. He told me about it before...before he was killed." She smiled sadly. "I used to think it was more of a curse than a blessing, but, now I'm glad because it saved your life." She smiled at him. "Does it hurt?" he asked. "No." "They're beautiful, just like you." She blushed. "No one's ever told me that before." He smiled. "I can't imagine why." He leaned forward, kissing. A soft kiss, giving her a chance to pull away if she wanted to. He was glad when she returned the kiss.   
  
  
  
  
When Migel returned to camp, he was surprised to be summoned to Colonel Tristan's tent immediately. "Sir," he saluted as he entered. The Colonel looked up. "Ah, Migel. I have good news regarding you." Migel waited for the Colonel to continue. "You have been chosen to be a member of the Dragon Slayers." Migel starred in astonishment. "Me, sir. Why me?" "Because you, Migel Lavariel, had one of the highest scores out of all the soldiers." "Scores? But I was never tested." The Colonel smiled. "A few weeks ago when we had that special training program for all the soldiers." Migel starred at him. "That was the test?" The Colonel nodded. "I...I don't know what to say," Migel stammered. "I'm honored that I was chosen, but I still don't see why he would choose me." Colonel Tristan laughed. "Because, my boy, you are a fine soldier and one of the best fighters I have."  
  
  
  
  
  
Sheera stopped outside the house. It was oddly quiet and dark inside. Usually her uncle had a fire going. It didn't feel right. She went back into the woods and climbed a tree so she could keep an eye on the house. She searched around it and saw something gleam. It was the glint of metal. Soldiers. They had the house almost completely surrounded. She drew in her breath sharply. 'Her uncle hadn't known about her being a Draconian. He must have told Zaibach when he found out.' She mentally cursed him. Quietly, she climbed from tree to tree until she was far enough away from the house to run without being seen or heard. She ran as fast as she could.  
  
  
  
  
It was months later. Migel was just finishing the repairs on his melef when he was summoned to Dilandau's throne room. He entered with the rest of the Dragon Slayers and listened to what he was saying. They were to hide in the woods using their stealth cloaks. Then raid the village and burn it. He didn't like the sound of it, but he had to follow orders. He left with the rest of the Dragon Slayers. "Another raid," muttered Gatti sarcastically under his breath. "Don't let Lord Dilandau hear you say that. He'll kill you if he does," Chesta said, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one else had heard. Migel sighed. They were all tired of these meaningless raids, but no one was going to tell Dilandau that. He sighed, and headed for his melef.   
  
  
  
Chesta looked around. He could hear someone running toward them. "Guys, someone's headed this way." "Roger that," Gattie said. They kept watching. A young boy ran around the bend. Gattie could see soldiers following. The boy stopped, looking for a place to hide. Chesta called to the boy. The boy looked around. "Who's there?" he said. Chesta pulled his stealth cloak away from the melef for a brief second. "Get under the cloak." The boy obeyed. Chesta had just closed his cloak when the soldiers came around the bend. They were soldiers from Asturia's army. 'What were they doing chasing a boy?' Gatti didn't waste his time thinking about it. The soldiers ran by without stopping. Once they were out of site, Chesta opened the hatch of his melef. "Get in," he called to the boy. The boy climbed up and jumped in. "Thanks." he said. Chesta nodded. They finished their raid, and headed back to headquarters. "Why were those soldiers chasing you," Chesta asked. The boy sighed. "I can't say." Chesta accepted that answere. If he didn't want to say, it wasn't his business to push it. "Thank you for helping me." he said. "I don't know many people who would have helped me." Chesta nodded as he guided his melef into the docking bay. Migel jumped out of his melef and headed towards Chesta. Chesta jumped down, followed boy the boy. As the boy hit the ground, he hissed in pain and his leg nearly gave out from underneath him. Migel caught him, and gasped in surprise. "Sheera! Are you alright." "Migel!" Chesta starred at them. "You two know each other?" Migel nodded. "Chesta, this is Sheera. She's a very good friend of mine." Chesta's mouth dropped open. "She?" Sheera smiled. "Yeah. Don't let the way I dress fool you. I find these clothes much more comfortable than a dress. Besides, it's a good disguise. Well it was a good disguise." she said with a wry grin. "Why were those soldiers after you?" Migel asked. She looked down at her feet. "My uncle..." "Your uncle handed you over?" She nodded. "When he found out about...my secret, he turned me over. The soldiers were waiting for me when I went home that night. I've been running from them ever since." Migel couldn't believe it. "Come on. Lord Dilandau has summoned us," Gatti said. "If we're late, you know how angry he will be." "What should we do with her? I don't have time to take her back to my room." Migel said. Gatti thought for a minute. "Bring her with you. Lord Dilandau we'll want to see anyway." Migel obeyed and he and Chesta helped her toward Dilandau's throne room. Once they were assembled, Sheera pushed Migel and Chesta away from her, refusing their support. Migel admired her strength. Any ordinary man would have passed out from the pain, yet she was standing without any help at all. When Dilandau was finished congratulating them on a successful raid, he called Sheera up before him. She walked steadily, not a falter in her step. As she stopped, Migel noticed fresh blood dripping onto the floor at her feet. Dilandau's eyes swept over her. "I was told that Asturian soldiers were chasing you. Why?" She starred him straight in the eye without blinking. "I am sorry, but I cannot say why." Chesta drew in a sharp breath. Nobody had ever talked to Dilandau that way before. If they did, they would be killed. Dilandau scrutinized her for a moment longer, than chuckled. They all wathced. Sheera's leg was beginning to shake under her weight, she was sweating, and her wound was still bleeding. They watched as her eyes rolled up into her head and she collapsed. Right before she hit the ground, she stopped. Her eyes snapped open and she forced herself to stand back up. Dilandau was very impressed. "Migel, see that she gets medical attention." "Sir." Migel saluted, then went to Sheera's side and helped her out of the room. He could feel the heat radiating from her body and knew that she had a high fever. "Come on" he said. "Let's get you some help." She smiled. "I'm glad I got to see you again." He smiled. "Me, too," he said, giving her a small kiss on the cheek. "I missed you."   
  
  
  
It was a few months later. Sheera had been made an official member of the Dragon Slayers because Dilandau had been so impressed with how strong and determined she was. Migel smiled as he wathced her training with Chesta. She and Chesta had become close friends. They were both orphans, neither of them had parents, and that had brought them closer. They were like brother and sister. Best friends. She had even told him her secret. Only 3 people knew that secret, and she was one of them. He turned as Gatti cleared his throat. "Lord Dilandau wants to see you." Migel thanked him and went to see what they would be doing next. Little did he know, this mission was going to change everything.  
  
  
  
Sheera starred at Chesta, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I'm sorry," Chesta said. "I really am." She couldn't help it. Tears streamed down her face. Chesta wrapped his arms aruond her and let her cry on his shoulder. It was all he couldn do. He knew the loss she was feeling right now was intense, but, she would get through. He couldn't do anything to change it, he could only help her get through it. She cried until she couldn't cry anymore. Finally she pulled away from Chesta. "Thanks Chesta, but, could I be alone right now." Chesta got up and left. When he had gone, She collapsed onto her bed. 'How could Migel be dead?' She couldn't beleive it. He was actually gone. At that moment she never felt more alone in her life. Fresh tears slid down her cheek. That night, she cried herself to sleep. While she slept, she dreamt. Migel stood in a clearing surrounded by a glowing light. She stepped closer to him, wanting to reach out and touch him, but she couldn't. He smiled. "Don't be sad for me." he said. "I made a choice. That choice was to sacrifice my life for Lord Dilandau. I'm not sad at my decision, so you shouldn't be either. We'll be together again someday." She reached out for him, their hands almost touching. He smiled encouragingly at her. She reached out and their hands touched, a glowing light surrounded both of them.   
  
  
  
Sheera squinted. The sun shone brightly through her window. She smiled. 'If Migel didn't want her to be sad, then she would try her best to do what he wanted.' There was a slight tap on her door. "Come in," she called cheerfully. Chesta poked his head in and smiled. "Time for training. You missed breakfast." She smiled. I'll ready in a minute. Chesta was a little shocked by her cheerfullnes, but glad she was feeling better. "Why the big change of personality?" he asked. She smiled. He could see a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Migel wouldn't want me to be sad over him. He made a choice. A choice that he thought was right. He gave his life for Dilandau. I will always miss him, but I can't be sad over it forever." She smiled at him. "Besides. One day we'll be together again. Until then, all I can do is live each day of my life as best I can and keep Migel in my memory." She smiled and put her sword around her waist. "Now, come on. Let's go train." She put her arm around Chesta's shoulder, and the two headed out of the room, each remembering Migel fondly, as they headed for the training room. Niether of them would ever forget him. He had been a good friend, and they would honor his memory daily.  



End file.
